Ernst: $1,000 water heaters in Venice? True or false?

Published: Tuesday, January 29, 2013 at 4:21 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, January 29, 2013 at 4:21 p.m.

Amid the high-minded talk about goals and objectives, long-range planning, economic development and sustainability, it didn’t take long to get to the $1,000 hot water heater.

This is a Venice staple.

In short, the story goes, hot water heaters cost more in Venice than anywhere else in the universe because the city building department’s permits and inspections unfairly drive up the price.

The story came up again Monday as the Venice City Council met for an all-day strategy/planning session at Venice on the Isle.

As the discussion unfolded, the building department hits kept on coming.

Mayor John Holic called for a departmental change in attitude. Councilwoman Jeanette Gates said contractors feared retaliation if they spoke out.

“Partners for success is not a term I’d use with this department,” said Councilman Bob Daniels, referring to the Partners 4 Success program designed to revamp the fees structure and relations with builders. “They should be partnered with economic development,” he added.

Now wait a minute. Sure, the building department makes an easy target. Its employees are the ones who say you can’t do it the way you wanted to, then they check to make sure you haven’t, then they charge you for doing it their way.

No wonder people like to complain about them.

But this water heater business is not putting the kibosh on economic development in Venice.

And even the permit costs no longer stand out. They used to be an excessive $130. Now they’re $80.

Councilman David Sherman had a story, from personal experience. A friend replaced her old heater with a top-of-the-line model. It was going to cost $625 installed, but her plumber offered a discount if she enlisted a few neighbors to replace theirs.

She did, and the group ended up paying $550 each, not $1,000.

The lesson for the day: If your plumber says your new hot water heater is going to cost $1,000 in Venice, don’t blame the building department, hire a different plumber.

Although the building department has made a number of improvements, people still remember the old problems.

Better communication might help, which is why exercises such as the strategy session have value. They get elected leaders talking, not only among themselves, but with their staff. It’s surprising how little they know about each other and the workings of the organization they head.

For instance, Daniels criticized the building department for not surveying its users to determine the level of satisfaction.

He did not know that customer response cards have been placed at the front counter for more than a year. Granted, they have generated only 13 responses. All but one was positive, and that one complained about the heat in the building that day.

The water heater anecdotes reinforce how it’s often the little things that can sidetrack or undercut our objectives. So, in this case, the perception of how much it costs to replace a water heater becomes a symbol of how government interacts with its citizens.

And, that perception may not always be accurate, because it takes time for perception to catch up with changes.

<p>Amid the high-minded talk about goals and objectives, long-range planning, economic development and sustainability, it didn't take long to get to the $1,000 hot water heater.</p><p>This is a Venice staple.</p><p>In short, the story goes, hot water heaters cost more in Venice than anywhere else in the universe because the city building department's permits and inspections unfairly drive up the price.</p><p>The story came up again Monday as the Venice City Council met for an all-day strategy/planning session at Venice on the Isle.</p><p>As the discussion unfolded, the building department hits kept on coming.</p><p>Mayor John Holic called for a departmental change in attitude. Councilwoman Jeanette Gates said contractors feared retaliation if they spoke out.</p><p>“Partners for success is not a term I'd use with this department,” said Councilman Bob Daniels, referring to the Partners 4 Success program designed to revamp the fees structure and relations with builders. “They should be partnered with economic development,” he added.</p><p>Now wait a minute. Sure, the building department makes an easy target. Its employees are the ones who say you can't do it the way you wanted to, then they check to make sure you haven't, then they charge you for doing it their way.</p><p>No wonder people like to complain about them.</p><p>But this water heater business is not putting the kibosh on economic development in Venice.</p><p>And even the permit costs no longer stand out. They used to be an excessive $130. Now they're $80.</p><p>Councilman David Sherman had a story, from personal experience. A friend replaced her old heater with a top-of-the-line model. It was going to cost $625 installed, but her plumber offered a discount if she enlisted a few neighbors to replace theirs.</p><p>She did, and the group ended up paying $550 each, not $1,000.</p><p>The lesson for the day: If your plumber says your new hot water heater is going to cost $1,000 in Venice, don't blame the building department, hire a different plumber.</p><p>Although the building department has made a number of improvements, people still remember the old problems.</p><p>Better communication might help, which is why exercises such as the strategy session have value. They get elected leaders talking, not only among themselves, but with their staff. It's surprising how little they know about each other and the workings of the organization they head.</p><p>For instance, Daniels criticized the building department for not surveying its users to determine the level of satisfaction.</p><p>He did not know that customer response cards have been placed at the front counter for more than a year. Granted, they have generated only 13 responses. All but one was positive, and that one complained about the heat in the building that day.</p><p>The water heater anecdotes reinforce how it's often the little things that can sidetrack or undercut our objectives. So, in this case, the perception of how much it costs to replace a water heater becomes a symbol of how government interacts with its citizens.</p><p>And, that perception may not always be accurate, because it takes time for perception to catch up with changes.</p>